Psni Gets Powers to Move Travellers

By Andrew Evans, PA Lords Staff

Peers backed new powers for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to move gypsies and travellers.

Similar measures are in force for England and Wales.

But the Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order will not come into force until there are an adequate number of transit sites, provided by the province's housing executive, said Northern Ireland minister Lord Rooker.

Lord Glentoran, for Tories, said the problem of travellers in the province and on the UK mainland had increased since the Republic of Ireland had launched a crackdown.

EDITORIAL COMMENT:More and more anti-Gypsy measures are put in place in the UK, whether in Ulster, which personally to me is part of Eire and not Britain, but that is not at issue here, intending to give the authorities powers to move on illegally encamped Irish Travellers but should Romani-Gypsies, a protected ethnic minority in the United Kingdom, try to stop when traveling they too will be treated under the same methods. Similar moves are, it would appear, afoot in the Netherlands where now traveling Sinti are no longer permitted to stop, even at camping places, for longer than 24 hours, so I have been told.